Nation Network Prospect Profiles: #14 Jeremy Roy

Though some might consider him “undersized” at six feet tall, Jeremy Roy’s game is anything but small. The offensively dazzling defender is also rock-steady in his own zone, and may be one of the smartest players available in this year’s draft.

Scouts:

Jeremy Roy is a gifted two-way defenceman that establishes his presence on the ice through playing authoritative hockey, with and without the puck. His absolute and total awareness of other players’ positions on the ice is a testament to his incredible knowledge of the game. Roy possesses the intangibles of maturity and character that can’t be taught, as well as the individual skill that turns heads every time he is on the ice. All-in-all, a highly intelligent defenceman that plays high-percentage hockey and is a catalyst for positive plays in all three zones.

An offensively gifted defenseman who is solid in the defensive zone…has a real smooth stride and is pretty mobile…very mature game with strong positioning and smart with the puck…tough to separate from it as he has a heavy stick…makes terrific passes and rarely has anything intercepted…has a good point shot as well and he gets it on net…has the vision and creativity to QB a PP…solid defensively, using his smarts and his strong stick to break up plays and take away chances…uses his strength on defense to play physically down low and contain his man…used in all situations…a big presence on the ice and slows down the play when the puck is on his stick.

Jeremy’s game is based on strong play with the puck. He has that ability in all areas; defensively, offensively and in transition. Great poise with the puck and he makes strong decisions that create advantages for his team. His speed is not exceptional but his mental pace of play is outstanding. A strong competitor who finds ways to meet the challenges.

Our Take:

Coming off of his second season as one of the very best offensive defenders in the 2015 draft class, Jeremy Roy offers an infusion of skill to the prospect pipeline of any NHL team that drafts him. While not of the same defensive mold as guys like Noah Juulsen or Nicolas Meloche, Roy does mostly everything well at both ends of the ice.

Roy is best described as a cerebral and intelligent playmaker from the back end, with solid skating and excellent puck skills to boot. He rarely makes a bad decision, and is adept at separating opposing players from the puck on defence, even though his physical game is decent but not great. Using an active stick and smarts, Roy does well to play a positionally sound game that can consistently disrupt opposing attackers.

Offense though is Roy’s strong suit. He led all QMJHL draft eligible D with 0.93 points per game this season, tallying 5 goals and 38 assists in 46 games. This came after a 16-year old season in which Roy scored 14 goals and 30 assists in 64 games, which also led the pack in the 1997 age group.

Given this production, PCS compares Roy to a variety of players such as Bryan McCabe, Wade Redden, Francois Beauchemin, Brian Campbell, Ian White, Ed Jovanovski, and oddly enough, Jim Benning and Alain Vigneault. If PCS is any indication of what Roy could develop in to, it seems like he’s on track to become a mobile, top-4 offensive defenseman at the NHL level.

There is one concerning thing with Roy’s production though, and that’s the fact that comparatively speaking, Roy scored very few points at even strength with just 17. Most D tend to rely on the powerplay for offensive production however, so while a bit of a concern, this is hardly alarming.

It also has to be noted that after shooting at 8% last season, Roy’s individual shooting percentage plummeted this year, resulting in roughly 1/3rd of his total goal output from last year. His total dangerous shots increased however, so there’s no reason to believe Roy’s struggle to score this year wasn’t percentage-driven.

While not quite in the distinguished top group of draft eligible D available this season, Roy is an excellent prospect and as good a bet as any player available past 10th to become an impact NHLer.